


Future Queens

by sobachka



Series: Grishaverse One Shots [8]
Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, and now their kids get a story, zoyalai but they're happy and they have kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26693491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sobachka/pseuds/sobachka
Summary: based off ofthistumblr post about zoyalai kids---"You won't believe what just happened!" He said, panting from what must have been a long run to her room.She raised an unamused brow at him, jotting a few more notes into her book as she spoke, "you very rudely entered the crown princess' chambers without so much as a knock? Do tell me more."He scowled at her, hazel eyes narrowing, "fine then, I won't tell you about the new knight," he said, turning to leave.Her parents would have told her if there was a new pupil."Wait," she finally grumbled, the sharp sting of betrayal the only reason she called him back. But Dominik didn't care much for motive, and in the span of two seconds, he'd shut her door and leaped onto the bed beside her, his grin twice as big and three times as excited.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky, liliyana lantsov/reynash
Series: Grishaverse One Shots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789741
Kudos: 20





	Future Queens

Future queens didn't need to sneak around and eavesdrop. They didn't need to hide behind pillars and watch from afar. They didn't need to peak from windows and press a finger to their lips when servants passed them by.

And yet Liliyana found herself doing all these things and more ever since  _ he _ arrived at the Grand Palace's gates.

She might not have even known about him if it wasn't for her brother Dominik, who had thrown open the door to her room without knocking, his eyes wide and his smile wider.

"You won't  _ believe _ what just happened!" He said, panting from what must have been a long run to her room.

She raised an unamused brow at him, jotting a few more notes into her book as she spoke, "you very rudely entered the crown princess' chambers without so much as a knock? Do tell me more."

He scowled at her, hazel eyes narrowing, "fine then, I won't tell you about the new knight," he said, turning to leave.

Future queens were not gossips, but Liliyana had to admit her interest was piqued. She glanced up at her brother's retreating form. To be knighted, one had to undergo a series of trials and tests, as well as a very special examination held by the Queen herself. It was a very serious process. 

Her parents would have told her if there was a new pupil.

"Wait," she finally grumbled, the sharp sting of betrayal the only reason she called him back. But Dominik didn't care much for motive, and in the span of two seconds, he'd shut her door and leaped onto the bed beside her, his grin twice as big and three times as excited.

"Okay, so I went down this morning to train-"

"This _morning?_ _You_ got up to train?" She quirked a disbelieving brow at him and her brother shrank back just a bit.

"Fine, I was spying on the knights in training, and what about it?" she rolled her eyes, but didn't stop him from continuing, "anyways, suddenly this guy appears- he must be my age, maybe a little older, and he just  _ demands _ to see the King!"

Liliyana set aside her book, shifting on her bed to give Dominik her full attention. Absolutely no one called on the king like that. Especially not before breakfast- he was cranky before he got to drink his morning tea.

"Surely father didn't listen to him," she said, and her brother's eyes sparkled.

"He  _ did _ ."

"And?"

"And, we have a new knight in training!" He said this smugly, as though by delivering this piece of news he'd somehow helped in actually piecing together this event. Which, of course, he hadn't.

"That isn't possible," Liliyana replied with a frown. "He hasn't followed the proper protocol!"

Dominik rolled his eyes, "who cares? Father seems to like him perfectly well, he even says he reminds him of his younger self."

"That isn't comforting in the slightest," she'd muttered in response. They'd all heard the stories of the King's adventures when he'd been Sturmhond, and while Dominik had found them fascinating, Liliyana had always thought he'd been rather reckless in his youth.

Future queens couldn't afford to be reckless.

For that reason alone, Liliyana had decided to keep an eye on the newcomer. 

The first time she'd actually seen him, she had been surprised. Having been expecting a Ravkan boy, perhaps the son of a Duke or some such, she was utterly shocked to see he was nothing of the sort. The boy was Suli, with dark hair and dark eyes that roved around the room as though he were trying to memorize it- she'd had to duck away to avoid his sharp gaze- and he wore the clothing of a commoner, and the smile of a thief.

He was also, and this she noted solely for detailed reference, rather handsome. If one were fascinated by that sort of thing.

Which, of course, future queens were not.

The second time she had encountered the boy, she had learned his name was Reyansh. It was a sensible name, she supposed, though in her opinion a knight should have a more daring name than that- something that meant brave or just, nothing to do with sunlight.

That day she had watched him and Dominik spar, and saw the way the boy played well enough to impress her brother, but pulled his punches a little to allow the prince to win. Dominik, of course, remained oblivious, but Liliyana filed that bit of information, for later.

That, and the fact that he had a loud, contagious laugh. She hadn't heard what he'd said and had found herself smiling regardless, watching the way a dimple appeared in his right cheek when he laughed, throwing his head back and letting his dark hair stand on end.

It was important for future queens to observe their subjects, so Liliyana observed him.

She found she did not like him very much. He was too loud, too fast. He heard too much and spoke too quickly. He made the conversation turn to whatever end he chose without making anyone feel like he'd taken the reigns. It was a subtle sort of control, and it set her on edge immediately.

She was relieved of her observatory duties when her father announced that he would be taking the trainees on a hunting trip one morning at breakfast.

He had turned his hazel eyes on her, the very same ones she saw reflected in the mirror, and said, "you could come of course, though I may ask you to aid me in capturing something larger than a mere rabbit this time."

"One would hope the King might know how to hunt something that wasn't planted there for his benefit," her mother had mused, with the sharply raised brow Liliyana had spent so long trying to emulate perfectly.

"I  _ knew _ it was far too convenient of a kill," he muttered, shaking his head, "still I make the trip much more delightful with my presence" this with a wink he aimed at Liliyana.

Mother and daughter both rolled their eyes.

"Apologies father, but I think I'll stay behind on this one- I have some lessons to catch up on before we resume classes next week."

He nodded understandingly, something she would forever be grateful for. Her father never questioned how she spent her time or made her feel foolish for it. Even when she'd been a little girl and she'd insisted he allow her to attend their meetings, he'd treated her with respect.

He'd treated her like a future queen.

"Dominik, Isaak, will either of you accompany me? I'm suffering from the rejection of both my wife and daughter and it's rather humiliating," this last part he said in a loud whisper, as though sharing a grave secret with them.

Isaak had pudding traces around his mouth as he looked up at her father from across the table. He shook his head, blue eyes almost apologetic before resuming his food.

Her father let out a light laugh before turning to Dominik who shrugged, "Sure," He said, and that had sealed it.

They had left just after sunrise, and Liliyana had woken up only an hour later, deeming the training ground hers for the time of their absence. She put on a pair of trousers and a shirt, then tied her dark hair up with a ribbon before sauntering down the stairs.

She'd train alone for a while, and perhaps if her cousin Nuwa- the Shu ward of her aunts Tamar and Nadia- wasn't busy, she might request a sparring match. The girl was talented enough to put the kingdom's army to shame.

She pushed open the door to the training room and froze.

It was not, as she had assumed, unoccupied.

Dark eyes met hers from across the room, and two dark brows shot up in- of all the ridiculous things-  _ surprise. _ As though she was not meant to be there, not the other way around.

Future queens did not sputter when they encountered unexpected visitors.

So Liliyana merely raised a brow at Reyansh and asked, in the tone her mother used when one of her children was caught doing something against the rules, "what are you doing here?"

The boy had the audacity to smile, leaning back against the wall casually as he spoke, "I could ask you the same thing."

She rolled her eyes, strolling in as though his presence did not hinder her plans. Because it shouldn't. 

"I'm the crown princess, not a  _ supposed _ knight in training. You don't ask the questions here." 

She snatched a few throwing knives from the weapons table and turned toward the targets, away from him.

But he was fast, crossing the room and stepping in front of her. He was taller up close, and his eyes were darker, a night sky devoid of stars.

"If I may ask exactly why I'm a 'supposed' knight in training, princess?" he looked amused as he repeated her words. Something about the way he said princess made Liliyana's cheeks warm slightly, and she scowled at him before he could notice.

"You aren't qualified to be a knight." She said, lacing her words with steel.

This wiped the smug grin off his face, and she watched the way his jaw clenched. She almost missed the smile, found herself waiting for the dimple she'd grown used to, but his entire demeanor had shifted at her words, his posture growing stiff.

"Is that so?" He asked, though his words were tight with something like hurt. But it couldn't be hurt, seeing as one could only be hurt by someone they cared for, or even  _ knew _ . And she hadn't even spoken to him before today.

Liliyana shrugged, "it is."

She tried to move to the next target, so she could begin practice without interruption, but Reyansh sidestepped, blocking her way again. She huffed in annoyance.

"You haven't seen me fight, princess, so how might you have come to that conclusion?" he raised a questioning brow at her. 

"I've watched you spar."

"Did I catch the princess’s interest? I'm touched," this with a fresh grin.

"Her annoyance, more like,"

"I'll take what I can get," now he had the audacity to wink, "Tell you what," he took a step closer to her. 

Future queens should probably step away, but Liliyana found herself fixated on his dark eyes, the way his thick lashes dipped as his eyes flicked over her face. Her breath was caught, waiting for him to speak.

"Spar with me. Then determine whether I'm a worthy knight." 

He said it like he knew she'd agree. Liliyana narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to say no, but the challenge pricked at her pride. Did he believe he could win against her? She thought of the way he called her princess, almost mockingly, and decided he needed to be taught his place.

"Fine," she said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. Then she looked him in the eyes and smirked, "I pity the drop your pride will have to take once I've won our match."

"Remains to be seen who's pride will suffer most, princess," Reyansh said with a wink, his smile showing the barest hint of the dimple she knew was there, then he drew back, crossing the room to collect a sword.

She figured this might be a bad idea, but Liliyana still set aside her knives and grabbed her sabre, the one with a golden hilt inscribed with a queen’s crown- her father’s gift for her seventeenth birthday. She had yet to lose a fight with it by her side.

Liliyana stepped onto the portion of the training room left for sparring- wooden floorboards instead of matted grounds. Falling on this type of ground was painful, she could vouch for that. And, in a few short minutes, so would he.

He settled on a cutlass at last, and Liliyana could almost see her father’s grin-  _ see? Piracy was never a dying art! _ \- and strolled over with the barest hint of a grin on his face. She hated him a little then, the way he seemed so confident, his eyes scanning her posture with mild interest as he approached.

“Will they have my head if I win against you, princess?” he said, letting one hand rest behind his back and angling his cutlass towards her. 

She didn’t wait for him to finish his jabs, advancing instead, letting him catch her first strike with his blade. He smiled. Too soon. She spun around and doubled force, this time catching him off guard. He stumbled back a few steps, bringing a second hand to support his weapon.

“Stronger than you look, princess,”

“Can’t say the same of you, I’m afraid.”

Too cocky from her end. He advanced, a series of sharp strikes throwing her back- she parried but he was too quick. Liliyana was thrown into defense, hardly catching each hit. She narrowed her eyes at him. He had the audacity to smirk.

She stepped forward. Overhead cut. He parries. She strikes, hard. He stumbles back. It’s not unlike those dance lessons her father had led her through.  _ Let him think he’s leading you. _

She stumbled, letting him advance. He was becoming too self-assured. Good. 

“And here I thought you might be a worthy opponent,” he said with a tsk. She misjudged the distance, landing hard on her back as her sword fell away. 

Reynash pressed the tip of his sword under her jaw. She huffed, noting the dimple that had appeared on his cheek.

“I thought the same of you,” she muttered. A crease appeared between his brows but Liliyana had already thrown a leg out, hooking around his ankles and pulling sharply. He cried out, his head thudding against the floorboards as he landed with a pained  _ oof _ .

Liliyana smiled. She was breathing heavily, but she wouldn’t let him rise to continue their fight. She had won, of course. She scrambled to her feet, pinning him to the ground with both hands pressed on his arms, her knee digging into his chest.

She had a second to acknowledge the way his dark hair fell back, sweat gathering on his brows. Dark lashes fluttered as his eyes found hers. She grinned.

Liliyana leaned forward, breathing heavily. “See?” she whispered, “you lose.”

The deep well of his eyes threatened to engulf her as his cheek dimpled with a grin, “doesn’t feel like it, princess.”

She hardly had a second to wonder what he meant by that when suddenly his lips were against hers, bridging the millimeter of distance she’d left between them. She froze, too stunned to do anything at all, and by the time her mind caught up and the single thought of how  _ soft  _ his lips felt against hers crossed it, he had pulled back. 

His brows drew together when she still didn’t move, and Liliyana discovered she did not want to know what he had to say. 

Future queens did not run, but she found herself racing out of the training room regardless, heading straight for her room and ignoring the call of “princess!” he sent after her.

\---

There were foxes painted into her ceiling.

Three total, chasing each other’s tails and creating a circle of orange-tinted fur running around the chandelier. She had not painted them- one of her mother’s friends had. Liliyana had not seen her in some time, but she could remember the woman’s pale hair and kind brown eyes.

“Why three foxes?” she’d asked, when she’d seen the shape of the animals take form.

The girl had pursed her lips against a smile, as though hiding a secret and said, “one for you, and one for each of your siblings. It’s to hope you’ll each be as clever a fox as he’d been, if not cleverer.”

Her mother had entered before Liliyana could inquire who he was, and the two had fallen into the easy chatter of old friends within minutes. 

Now, with too much weighing on her mind, Liliyana distracted herself with the question once more. She wanted to be clever. As clever as her father when he spent months planning and plotting the perfect surprise for her mother’s birthday. And as clever as her mother, who knew exactly what was happening without being told.

She had showered and changed, and attempted to study. But nothing could erase the memory of Reyansh’s lips against her own. She hugged the pillow closer against her chest, trying to tamp down the rapid beat of her heart. This would not do. Future queens did not spend hours thinking about a boy or his ridiculously soft lips and dimpled cheek.

This would not do at all.

A light knock came against her door, making Liliyana leap to her feet. “Come in!”

Her door creaked open to reveal the Queen of Ravka, one amused brow raised, “sleeping?”

Liliyana raised her chin, “princesses don’t sleep mid-afternoon,”

Her mother’s blue eyes softened just slightly, the way they only ever did when she was alone with Liliyana and her siblings, or her father. It was a look no general or duke would believe had ever crossed her face. 

“I suppose not,” she said, letting herself into the room.

Liliyana treasured the moments she got with her mother, as the Queen was often occupied and had less and less time to spend with her children. And though she longed to ask her mother to sit beside her and brush her hair the way she used to when Liliyana had been a girl, she knew future queens did nothing of the sort.

But she was relieved when her mother picked up a brush regardless, seemingly having read her mind. She patted the edge of the bed, the side facing the large mirror beside her bed.

Liliyana was more than happy to oblige, scrambling across the room and settling into the cushions beside her mother as naturally as a fox might curl into its parent’s fur.

As her mother began to run the brush through Liliyana’s hair, she watched their reflection. Ever since she’d been a girl, Liliyana had been told she looked just like her mother. She could see it more clearly now, and had to admit they were right in some aspects.

They had the same deep brown skin, where her brothers’ were more olive-toned, and while Liliyana’s eyes were the hazel of her father’s, she shared the same sharpness she saw in her mother’s blue ones. The thick dark waves of her hair and sharp black of her brows were nearly identical to her mother. 

“Ma,” she managed, catching her mother’s sharp blue gaze in the mirror. “What would a queen do if she… wanted for something?”

She wasn’t sure the question sounded right, but she could not well tell her mother how scattered her thoughts became after she’d been kissed by a boy.

Her mother was more clever than any of the foxes painted into Liliyana’s ceiling. She watched her for a moment in the mirror’s reflection, before resuming her rhythmic strokes through her hair.

“I suppose it depends on the thing in question, and the person seeking it.” she said at last. Her mother and father never probed or questioned Liliyana. And before today, she might not have asked at all. But her mother continued a moment later, as though by some miracle she’d learned of everything that had happened. “My suggestion to this queen would be to go and get what she wants. Nothing is ever handed to us- your father fought for the crown he wears, and we all fought for this country, and we fight for it still. If something matters, if it’s of great importance, don’t let it slip away

Liliyana pondered her mother’s words long after the Queen had left and her hair was brushed and braided.

And then, she took her advice.

\---

It was long past dark, and even from her room’s balcony, the whisper of cold wind nipped at Liliyana’s skin. She should grab a coat to cover her nightgown, likely, but she found the cool air a refreshing sort of sting.

She took a deep breath of it, letting it calm her racing thoughts. She’d spent most of the day at the library, revising more history and finding old letters from Ravkan kings, diplomatic ones, and more personal ones as well. They both made for a fascinating read.

The palace gardens were empty at this hour, and she took to watching the breeze slip through the branches, shaking their leaves. That’s when a rustling sound came from below, startling her.

A boy appeared. She would recognize him anywhere, if not from the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, then from the way he strolled through the place like it was his for the taking.

Liliyana sucked in a breath, retreating slightly to avoid being seen.

She contemplated exactly what she should do with the fact that he was in the gardens, and remembered her mother’s words.

Future queens took what they wanted.

She stopped to slip on a pair of slippers before heading out.

The halls were mostly empty, but she exited through a servant’s corridor anyway, not wanting to run into her brother Dominik, who was often the one disappearing into the night with a single goal in mind.

She stepped out into the night, welcomed by the cool breeze that engulfed her, and the moonlight that drew her path in the darkness.

Liliyana found him exactly where she'd expected him to be, still pacing the gardens near her balcony. She spared a moment to wonder why he was there specifically, and whether or not a few more minutes of waiting might have led to a very different confrontation.

But future queens did not wait for other people to make their move.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked, smirking when he startled and whipped his head back, his eyes wide and alert. 

When he recognized who it was, he relaxed, easing into a grin that dimpled his cheek and leaning back against the palace wall.

"I am now," he said with a wink, eyes scanning her form. Perhaps she should have chosen a different outfit for this. Future queens did not run around in their nightgowns, after all.

It occurred to Liliyana, quite suddenly, that she had absolutely no idea why she was there.

She'd had some form of a plan- she must have, but now it was all in tatters, and the only thought in her head was how his lips had felt against hers.

"Do you wander around every palace you stay at?" She asked , approaching him. She tried to mimic the way her mother walked, with a sharp confidence, a look that said she  _ knew _ she was drawing attention.

"Do you pursue every boy in your nightgown?" He shot back, raising an amused brow.

She had drawn closer, unable to help herself, and found that even the darkness did his features justice. The line of his jaw seemed sharper here, the dimple in his cheek more prominent.

"Only the ones that owe me an apology," she replied, raising one shoulder in a shrug.

This caught his attention, and a bigger smile pulled at his lips, his dark eyes flicking over her face. "For winning against you, princess?"

She was too close now not to stare, but Liliyana found she didn't mind. The tilt to his lips brought some heat to her cheeks, and she summoned all the courage her mother had.

"No," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. He leaned closer to her, just a bit, and Liliyana let her hands come to rest on his chest. She pushed him back against the wall, startling him. "That wasn't a proper kiss."

"Wh-" he began, but she silenced him, pressing her lips to his. She felt Reyansh relax under her touch, letting his hand come up to caress her cheek. Liliyana thought of all the times she'd watched him spar or train, as she let her fingers tangle in his thick hair. She parted her lips under his, letting herself get lost in the moment, her head spinning with something new- something she’d never had before but found she never wanted to give up, now that she had it.

All too soon, she pulled back, breathing heavily. Reyansh’s dark eyes were wide, hair disheveled, and she couldn’t help the smirk that twisted her lips, even as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Then, Liliyana Nazyalensky-Lantsov turned and stalked away from him, knowing without needing to turn back that he watched her retreating form until she’d disappeared into the darkness.

Future queens went after what they wanted, and Liliyana found she could get used to being a future queen.


End file.
